History

The protective helmet with beret that was instituted for Army Panzer crews was used by the Waffen-SS as well. It was the same design, consisting of a round black shell padded with rubber and lined with silk or cotton, over which a black beret was worn. Silver-grey on black embroidered larger than usual insignia were worn on the front, with a Waffen-SS style eagle emblem above a death’s head.

However, the Panzer Beret turned out to be impractical and was discontinued in early 1941. Afterwards, Panzer crews wore the black field cap instead.